7 Pilates Workouts for Core Strength

A strong core offers many advantages – press movement, balance and posture correction, back pain prevention, and athletic performance – only to name a few. The core then, is composed of the muscles around the abdominal wall, the lower back, hips, and pelvis. There isn’t a better way that can be recommended than Pilates for the strengthening of these muscles. Here are 7 great Pilates workouts to help tone and build core strength:

1. The Hundred

This Pilates movement strengthens the muscles of the stomach, as well as the upper arms, thighs, and chest. 

Lie face up on the mat with legs straight and joined at hips and shoulders flat to the floor and arms by sides with palms down.

– Gently tilt the head and shoulders up but stop in the area of the neck. Engage your core muscles. 

– Raise and lower your arms at your sides starting with the inhale – 5 pumps and the exhale – 5 pumps. The pump should be 10 sets of 5 which makes it 100. Avoid employing rigid shoulder movements, retract your elbows.

­ Additional suggestions include: For more difficulty – pump with feet 2-6 inches off the ground.

2. Double Leg Stretch 

This exercise is quite demanding, it helps to tone the inner abdominal muscles. The condition strengthens one’s overall body control and posture.

Lay out on the mat and position your legs bending inside and holding the outer edge of the shins. With a bit of pace, lift the head, neck, and shoulders off the mat. Engage core.

– Breathe in and simultaneously raise your legs up as far as possible to the ceiling while keeping your ankles twisted, and your knees bent. 

– Breathe out and try to raise the upper body upward towards the legs at the same time as attempting to pull the knees in towards the chest. Try to get your hands next to the ankles of the opposite sex.

Breathe in deeply – and come back to the starting position. Repeat 10-16 times.

3. Criss Cross 

This dynamic move activates and strengthens your obliques and targets your lower back muscles.

Lay down flat on your back with your legs perpendicular to the surface you’re laying on and slightly raised – approx. Put palms softly on the sides of the head, and tense muscles in the abdomen.

- Move shoulders up in the air just a bit. Twist the abdominal region to the right while bending the right knee as close to the chest as possible.

– Switch sides, twist torso to the left, and pull in the left knee. That's 1 rep. 

– Calmly keep side-to-side movement and keep switching sides by side. Aim for 16-32 reps total.

4. Roll Up

They also cause extension of the spine and strengthen muscles of the abs and hip flexors. They increase the flexibility of the spines.  

Leaning on the face on the mat and placing the arms by the sides of the body, legs kept parallel to each other. Engage core.

Exhale – raise both arms up. Exhale, roll head, shoulders, and upper back up toward the ceiling off the mat. 

C – Go on rolling up by laying one vertebra on top of the other. Raise your arms straight forward above your head. 

Breathe in, push the lower abdomen out, and slowly lift up the vertebrae by vertebrae. Complete 10-16 reps.

5. Side Plank Series

Apart from targetting the obliques, hips, and arms, challenging side planks on the stability ball are incorporated into the program.  

The starting position is in the side plank, the subject lays on the right forearm, legs are placed one over the other, and the hip lifts to align the torso and legs in a straight line. Hold for 10-30 seconds.

- Overhead extend arms then take hips slightly closer to the floor before going back to plank position. Repeat for 30-60 seconds.  

- Rotate the torso down, up, and diagonally to the ceiling with the right elbow. Rotate back to plank. Repeat for 30-60 seconds.

– Turn over and perform the sequence on the left arm. 

6. Swimming

Swimming strokes are an intricate total body exercise that focuses on strengthening all your central muscles.

- Lie face down on the mat. Raise your hands above your head and suppose legs at the back of your body. Tilt your chest up a little, and tighten the abdominal muscles. 

The right arm and left leg should be slightly raised from the ground. Pulse up and down 10 times. 

Rotate from the left arm and the right leg – 10 beats.  That’s 1 lap.

- Continue alternating sides. Complete 5-10 laps total.

7. Pilates Plank

It is like a plank but a little more complicated than a plank exercise. Tones the entire core.  

Begin this exercise in the high plank position – hands placed slightly wider than shoulder width apart, legs drawn back, and balancing on the toes. Theory of using the core to keep back flat. 

- Sit from plank position, tap knees in toward chest 15 times. 

Draw the right hand around, under the left arm, and turn the body right. Return hand to start position Every hand's movement in sign has to start from one particular position and return back to it again.

- Left-hand Repeat thread under. That's 1 set. Aim for 2-3 sets.

Also, when asking participants to engage their core ensure they navigate their belly button to their spine. Move slowly with control. Modify exercises as needed. To get the most efficient result, turn these Pilates core into a comprehensive 30-60-minute exercise session at least two to three nonconsecutive days a week. Crucially, you will develop rock-solid core strength, stability, and endurance over time!!!!